Acta Herpetologica (Jun 2012)

Updated distribution of hybrids between <em>Lissotriton vulgaris</em> and <em>Lissotriton montandoni</em> (Amphibia: Caudata: Salamandridae) in Romania

  • Iulian Gherghel,
  • Alexandru Strugariu,
  • Ioana-Madalina Ambrosă,
  • Ștefan Zamfirescu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.13128/Acta_Herpetol-10224
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1

Abstract

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Lissotriton montandoni is an endemic newt species found only in the Carpathian Mountains and lives in sympatry with Lissotriton vulgaris in many aquatic habitats from the entire range of the former species in the Carpathian and Sudetes Mountains or in the hilly areas from the Subcarpathians. These two species usually generate hybrids where their parapatric ranges meet, especially along rivers that flow from the inside of the Carpathians, where valleys are used as ecological corridors by L. vulgaris. We surveyed several regions of the Eastern Carpathian Mountains between 2008 and 2011 and found 11 new populations of newts where hybrids between the two mentioned species were present. All new records of L. montandoni x L. vulgaris were described in the eastern part of the Eastern Carpathians, in Neamț County, a region known also from previous literature to be a ‘hot spot’ for hybrids between these two species. The present paper also presents an updated review of the distribution of Lissotriton hybrids in Romania.